Jillian Ginger completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at UnityPoint Des Moines - Iowa Methodist Medical Center in 2020. During her PGY1 residency, she helped to establish 2 new rotations with the program: Adult Palliative Care and Pediatric Palliative Care. Her residency research project evaluated the utility of adding a pharmacist to the palliative care team in a community hospital which demonstrated positive results. The results of the study were utilized to create a business proposal for the addition of a Pain, Palliative Care, and Opioid Stewardship Pharmacist position. The position is strongly supported, however continues to pend approval given financial constraints. Jillian remains a clinical staff pharmacist at UnityPoint Des Moines, splitting time between adult and pediatrics. She additionally serves as a PGY1 Residency Preceptor for adult palliative care, pediatric palliative care, and staffing rotations. She additionally mentors projects related to medication safety and opioid utilization for various pharmacy residency medication safety projects.  Jillian is the Chair of the UnityPoint Des Moines Pain Management Committee and serves on the UnityPoint Health System Palliative Care Clinical Services Group (CSG) and UnityPoint Health System Pain Management Workgroup. 

Palliative Care Certificate Impact: I utilize the education I received during the Palliative Care Certificate Program very frequently in my day-to-day work. I currently am the Chair of the UnityPoint Des Moines Pain Management Committee and additionally serve on the UnityPoint System Palliative Care Clinical Services Group and UnityPoint System Pain Management Workgroup. I would not have a role on any of those committees without the education I received from the Palliative Care Certificate. Additionally, I serve as a preceptor for our adult and pediatric palliative care rotations, which I helped to establish during my residency thanks to the palliative care certificate program. I am VERY hopeful to get approval for a position as the Pain, Palliative Care, and Opioid Stewardship Pharmacist for UnityPoint Des Moines in the near future.